Thoughtful Thursday: remember the lonely and sad at Christmas


How often do you think of those who might be lonely, sad, depressed, suffering illness as we approach the Christmas season? What about the single mum who is struggling just down the road, perhaps an elderly person who lives alone. 

In this modern day, everyone is so busy running about sending Christmas cards, buying gifts, attending parties, working out what they will wear to all their parties, organising food etc.. they forget about those who need us most.

The very people we should be remembering at this time of the year. 

My friend Mary has written a beautiful post  ("Seeing with Compassion") that reminds us not to forget those people in need. I would highly recommend reading it as its such a good reminder at this time of the year and it contains so ideas of how to make a differences to someone else. 


" . . . .  I hadn't really expected to post a holiday challenge this year, but recently it popped into my head that one problem with the heavy celebration schedule that many people keep is that they fail to really see those who need to be seen the most - the hurting, the lonely, the ill, the downtrodden.  . . . One of the problems with the busy-ness of the Christmas season is all the things that get missed.  More specifically all the people that get missed.  When you are totally consume with your own "merry" plans and festivities it is easy to not see the hurting and suffering around you, even when you think you are trying to love them.  One of the saddest aspects of this is that there are Christians who are ignored or neglected by their own brothers and sisters in Christ!"




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Comments

  1. Its always nice to think about somebody less fortunate than yourself, particularly at Christmas.

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  2. Our mutual blog friend mentioned your blog and when she said Australia and art, I had to come and say hi. This is a sweet post and we need to keep people who are having a difficult Christmas in mind.

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    1. Thankyou for visiting:))))) Yes I am in Australia (where it is meant to be hot and summary right now, rather its cold and wet!!) and I do love art.

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  3. Sadly, the lonely can be forgotten all year around. Those who have suffered loss are often remembered in the immediate aftermath, and then after awhile people assume they have moved on. Grief can last a long time, and the loneliness that accompanies it can be overwhelming at any time of year, but especially times of year that have a lot of sentiment or traditions.

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    1. Its true - we do turn a blind eye to the lonely and sad, but I think at Christmas they feel even more lonely as they see everyone else having a good time and they aren't involved and really struggling. Grieving can vary depending on the person and their circumstances and we can't assume someone is "over it" and we need to continue to show compassion and care. We need to be more caring towards others in general I think :))

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  4. Thank you so much, Jo. I'm blessed to call you friend, as well as sister in Christ.

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